Yes, I agree. Peter's answer was most helpful. We're trying to find a
balance. In fact, we're going to be having regular family meetings, modeled
after Sudbury school meetings, as read about on the website. Maybe not
weekly, but at least two times per month. Fully democratic. No rule goes
into effect without unanimity. Well, with only five people a simple majority
is...well, we parents are going to be voted down, eh? LOL So that family
life doesn't get overrun by individual lives.

Maybe one of my fears with the TV is, with us NOT being a school, full of
many people doing many different things, but simply a family of five living
out in the country (which does further reduce the number of different things
available, by mere distance)...that TV and computer games will be the most
interesting things available.

ack.

Well, my brain IS sizzling, I must say. lots to think through, here!

peace, Heidi

>From: "David Rovner" <rovners_at_netvision.net.il>
>Reply-To: discuss-sudbury-model_at_sudval.org
>To: <discuss-sudbury-model_at_sudval.org>
>Subject: [Discuss-sudbury-model] The problem is balance . . .
>Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2003 22:56:47 +0200
>
>
>*Very important,* Peter, and also very difficult to carry it out:
> >The problem is balance. The balance between the needs and wants of the
>community and the
>needs and wants of the individual.<
>
>~ David
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Peter Talbot" <dumbguy_at_covad.net>
>To: <discuss-sudbury-model_at_sudval.org>
>Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2003 10:01 PM
>Subject: [Discuss-sudbury-model] Computer Games at School
>
>
> > > A question. Can you tell me what Sudbury school (or any democratic
>school)
> > > policies are about playing computer games and watching TV? On the
>Sudbury
> > > website, there are pictures of kids playing and embroidering and
>walking
> > and
> > > watching other kids and building. None of anyone sitting in front of
>a
> > screen.
> >
> > At the Chicago Sudbury School we have kids playing computer games all
>the
> > time. The only limit we set on computer use time is for purposes of
> > fairness--kids get 3 hours of "priority use" that they can sign up for
>in
> > 1-hour increments. This system of limitations only exists because we
>have
> > more kids than computers, and the issues of equal access and fairness
>are
> > important.
> >
> > We also have kids talking, doing sewing projects, playing piano or bass
> > guitar or cooking *all the time.* The same kids. While we do have a TV,
>I
> > have yet to see anyone watch it (excepting our sleep-overs, where movies
> > are a staple).
> >